Perth Amboy sues firm overseeing municipal complex construction

Perth Amboy is suing the company overseeing the construction of its new municipal complex, alleging the work is sloppy and inefficient.

The complaint, filed this week in Superior Court, also accuses Safeco, a Washington State-based corporation with offices in New Jersey, of failing to coordinate the different aspects of the building project.

Contracts for the $55 million construction project were awarded to 14 contractors, said Perth Amboy Mayor Joe Vas, and it was Safeco's job to ensure each worked together efficiently.

"This was one rotten contractor that's made this project an absolute nightmare," Vas said today.

The city's new municipal complex on New Brunswick Avenue, which has been under construction for three years, has already been stalled by multiple delays. The project has been under Safeco's direction since May, when the original contractor was removed due to what Vas said was inadequate work. Safeco is an insurance, or surety, company whose role was to guarantee completion of the project.

The complaint asks that the work be completed properly, and that the city be awarded damages to compensate for the delays.

The finished complex will consist of a building for the police, EMS and code enforcement departments, and a second building housing the municipal court and community center.